Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a technology for using a service provided by a device on a network.
Description of the Related Art
Currently, mechanisms are provided, in which a client cooperates with an arbitrary web application without using application programming interfaces (APIs) dedicated to web applications (services) provided by various web servers. For example, there is a method for loosely coupling an application of the client and a web application by late binding at runtime.
First, at a timing when a user requests a client application to conduct a specific operation, the client application makes a list of web applications registered in the client application in advance as handlers for specific operations, and prompts the user to select a web application. Next, the client application passes execution data described in a predetermined format to the web application selected by the user, so that the client application transfers execution liability of a general operation. With the above processing, cooperation between the client application and the web application by late binding at runtime is realized. For example, a technology called web intents employs this method.
Further, as a method for making processing of a client application and of a web application to seamlessly cooperate with each other, a method has been discussed, in which an application having operated as a web application is installed to the client application. (For example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (translation of PCT Application) No. 2007-519071.)
It may be desirable to perform service-dependent pre/post processing on the client side before/after execution of a service, depending on the service provided by a web application.
For example, assume a case in which a web application provides a report output service that reports operation status of a plurality of network devices managed by the client. In this case, if a client-side module can obtain desired information from the network devices at execution (immediately before the execution) of the service before calling the report output service, the client can input information for highly accurate reporting to the web application.
Further, assume a case in which a web application provides a firmware management service that distributes firmware for a plurality of network devices managed by the client. In this case, if a client-side module can obtain current firmware information from the network devices at execution (immediately before the execution) of a service before calling the firmware management service, the web application can provide more appropriate firmware to the network devices or to the client. When firmware is provided to the client after calling of the firmware management service, it is necessary for the client-side module to distribute the firmware to the network devices as post-processing.
The technology provided in the description of the related art does not assume execution of pre/post processing linked with the service when calling such a service provided by a web application.